Who Am I?
The search for identity
Shortly after we are born, we are given a name. For most people, this name (or at least some portion of it) remains with them for the rest of their lives and can have an influence on how others perceive them. In countries that have tribes or castes, affiliation with a particular social strata also becomes inextricably connected to how others perceive them. The socio-economic status of the person’s parents likewise influences external perceptions. Very often, all these factors and more shape a person’s conception of who they are.
Yet these things are not enough to provide a complete sense of identity. We are born with a personality, and the complex ceaseless interaction of that personality with the external environment is what shapes us over the years.
For the most part, however, none of this is enough to give us a firm sense of self. Particularly in the teen years, most people feel confused about what they want, what they think they should want, what they do, and what they think they should do. Everything is an inchoate jumble and there seems to be no firm “me” in the center to which they can refer during times of stress. For a great many people this lack of self-definition persists throughout life, with the individual simply becoming accustomed to their lack of center and no longer noticing it. In consequence, when difficulties arise…
